Why go to the Temple???

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Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2012 15:50:03 -0500
Subject: Your Troubles will Go Away!
From: paramgnana@gmail.com
To: paramgnana@gmail.com


Why go to the Temple???


If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it.
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!



A 'devotee' wrote a letter to the editor of an indian newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Temple . 'I've gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 mantras.

But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving services at all.

This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.

But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the JLMzW5wYtVyOU7mvQsQdV4uKq*RBmhX0 those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.

If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Temple for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! All right, now that you're done reading, send it on!!! I think everyone should read this!! 'When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say,



'God , could you get that for me?!!'
Om Vighneswaraya Namah !
You gave me strength to carry on,
When my body was so torn.
And lifted me on wings of love,
When my spirit was so worn.

Through all the times when in despair,
When I hung my head in shame.
You came to me when I knelt down,
As I called upon your name.

And when my heart was troubled,
With more heartache than I could bear.
You caught each and every tear I shed,
In a bottle you have up there.

And when I get to heaven,
I'll kneel before your feet.
You'll wipe away all my tears,
For my soul is yours to keep.

May u n your family be blessed.
Please keep the blessed GANESH moving from house to house.

Dear All,

I'M MOVING HIM TO YOUR HOUSE
Please keep the blessed GANESH moving from house to house.

A flood of Vietnamese are flooding a Hindu temple in Ho Chi MIN CITY.!!!

[Indian-Ma​laysian] Mariamman temple popular in Vietnam - Dharmic traditions

venkat venkatmalaysia2020@gmail.com

Vietnamese celebrate New Year at Hindu temple
Saibal Dasgupta, TNN | Jan 24, 2012, 02.49PM IST

BEIJING: A flood of Vietnamese are flooding a Hindu temple in Ho Chi
Minh City during the 7-day Tet festival that began last Friday,
according to Indian residents of the city and local Vietnamese.

More than 50,000 people, almost all Buddhists, prayed at the Mariammam
Temple through the day and the entire night during the Vietnamese New
Year on Sunday. The flow continued through Tuesday with several
thousand local people visiting each day.

"The local Vietnamese believe that worshiping at this temple during
the New Year festival will bring good luck," Atul Kumar, a businessmen
who has been in HCMC since the 1980s told TNN.

A visitor from India reported that people were observing both Hindu
and Buddhist rituals to please the gods at the temple.

"There was a scramble of people offering 'prasad' as the main door of
the sanctum sanctorum opened last midnight. There were several
thousand Vietnamese Buddhists. They were all praying with deep
belief," B.S.Subramanyam, a chemical engineer from Chennai told TNN
over phone.

Local Vietnamese are making oaths and offering 'prasad' in the belief
that Hindu gods are generous about granting the wishes of worshippers.
Food offerings are being made to idols of several gods and goddesses
including Lakshmi, Muruga and Ganesha besides the main idol of goddess
Mariammam.

This is among the three Hindu temples in Vietnam's biggest city, which
has less than 1,000 resident Indians. The Mariammam temple draws the
maximum number of local worshippers besides serving as an officially
approved tourist's destination.

All the temples were built nearly 150 years back, when the city had a
thriving community of Indian businessmen dealing in silk and spices.

Vietnamese worshippers applied red vermilion on their foreheads after
making offerings of flowers, coconuts, betel leaf, dried rice and
candles to the different gods at the Mariammam temple.

Many visitors burning three to five feet long incense sticks filling
the temple premises with thick smoke, which is how worshiping takes
place in Vietnamese Buddhist temples.

All the temples were built nearly 150 years back, when the city had a
thriving community of Indian businessmen dealing in silk and spices.

OH MY FELLOW HUMANS..!!! WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU..? READ THIS.!!! YOU REALISE THAT.!!!

OH! MY MOTHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR MILK,FOOD,CLOTHS,PROTECTION &LOVE IN NEED!
OH! MY FATHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME EDUCATION,GUIDANCE,ADVICE AS YOUNG!
OH MY SISTERS &BROTHER! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR AFFECTION,TRUE CRITISM &HAPPINESS!
OH MY WIFE! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR AFFECTION,CARE,PROTECTION,TOLERANCE&TASTY FOOD
OH MY CHILDREN! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LAUGHTER,PROGRESS,AFFECTION & COURTECY!
OH MY UNCLES & AUNTS! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE,LAUGHTER,FRIENDLINESS&SMILES!
OH MY FRIENDS &RELATIVES! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR JOKES,LAUGHTER,HOSPTALITY,SMILE!
OH MY POLITICAL,RELIGIOUS,SOCIAL,SPRITUAL,MENTORS!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE!
OH MY VILLAGE! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVELY NATURE,GREEN VIEWS & LOVELY TEMPLES!
OH MY JAFFNA! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT-HISTORY,EDUCATION,CULTURE&HOSPITALITY!
OH MY LANKA!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR NATURAL-BEAUTY,SEA,NICE FOOD & WARM CLIMATE!
OH MY NORWAY! HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME&MY FAMILY PROTECTION,SAFETY,LIFE& CARE!
OH MY WORLD!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR REGULAR DAY&NIGHT;SUMMER&WINTER CYCLE SAFELY!
OH MY SUN!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR LIGHT/HEAT FOR ALL!NOT COME CLOSER OR GO FAR AWAY!
OH MY UNIVERSE!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING HARMONY!NOT DESTROYING LOVELY WORLD!
OH MY GOD!HOW CAN I THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVELY WORLD/UNIVERSE&MY HEART WORKING SO FAR!

SHAN NALLIAH...DRAMMEN, NORWAY 13-10-2011

MEETING WITH HON.KRISTIN HALVORSEN, MINISTER OF EDUCATION/NORWAY WITH NEW IDEAS..!!!

DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN AT FJELL SKOLE,DRAMMEN, I MET HON.MINISTER OF EDUCATION: KRISTIN HALVORSEN & SPOKE AT THE PUBLIC MEETING WITH 3 NEW IDEAS OF URGENT NEED:LOCALLY: 1 YEAR JOB TRAINING TO YOUTHS+IMMIGRANTS;NATIONALLY:MONITORING CITIZEN COMMITTEES IN EACH STREET REGARDING NAZI/EXTREME GROUPS/ENVT PROTECTION;INTERNATIONALLY:GON ACTIVE VOICE & INVOLVEMENT IN HR,JUSTICE,FREEDOM,POLITICAL SOLUTIONS,ENVT PROTECTION IN ASIA,AFRICA &LA.I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION IN SRILANKA/TAMIL SUFFERINGS AS WELL AS NEED OF NORWAY'S ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT EVEN DURING POST-WAR PERIOD TOO! ......NSP

Thirukkural: One of the finest products of Indian culture.! The work of Thiruvalluvar has the unique privilege of being praised EVERYWHERE.!!!

Hinduism

Thirukkural - great treatise on right living
Sinnathamby Rasiah

Thirukkural has been acclaimed as one of the finest products of Indian culture. The work of Thiruvalluvar has the unique privilege of being praised through all the ages and in most countries of the world. If the Tamils were to place before the world audience their literary best, they would definitely place the Thirukkural. There cannot be no disagreement on this point. In the words of well-known modern Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi’ Tamilnad gave unto the world Valluva (the author of Kural) and thereby won great renown’. The master piece of Tamil literature is yet a fertile field for scholars to explore and exhibit the lofty wisdom of the Tamils to the world. Thirukkural is said to be the Bible of the Tamilians and it has been translated into many languages.

World classic of morals
The Kural deals with the essentials of human nature. It has universality of appeal. Its observations goes beyond nationality and languages. Indeed the age of Kural was a period in which many cultures and religions were interacting one upon the other in the Tamil part of the Indian sub-continent. He ‘saw life steadily and saw it whole’ like Shakespeare. He was not a mere observer. He participated in life. He must have lived a rich and abundant life.

Thirukkural

*The Kural deals with the essentials of human nature

*The Kural is a great treatise on right living

*Thirukkural is a book of life

*Thiruvalluvar was a saint

*Thiruvalluvar was a person who had a deep understanding of human psychology


Poet Thiruvalluwar the author of Thirukkural

The Kural is a great treatise on right living. The Kural seems to stand as a unique classic on morals among the ethical works of the world. It is unique due to the fact that its approach to morality is psychological ie. agreeable to the science of psychology. He was concerned about the right and proper way of living at every stage of human growth and development from childhood to old age and development.

Thirukkural consists of chapters which are classified under three main sections viz virtue, wealth and enjoyment comprising of 1330 couplets. It is a book of life – of the whole life. Chapters on ethics politics, economics and human enjoyment are all actuated by one underlying purpose viz the development of human personality in terms of love and compassion.

On virtue
The chapter on virtue consists of 380 couplets dealing on aspects such as righteousness, household life, life’s partner, children, hospitality, pleasant talk, gratitude, impartiality, good conduct, tolerance, benevolence abstinence from flesh, penance, fate and so on.

The first chapter in praise of God deals in a shuttle way without mentioning any religious faith. The theme on rain exemplifies as to how rain is indispensable to all vegetation and livelihood of man. Touching on the theme joy of children Valluvar says begetting intelligent children is the greatest gift and also describes the duties of parents and children. When the mother comes to know that her son is a learned person, her joy knew no bounds than at the time of delivery. On the theme sweet words he draws a similarity to come out with harsh words, when there are sweet words is like plucking unmatured fruits when there are matured ones.

On theme “ideal Householder” he poses the question of what use of a person who tries to seduce the wife of his neighbour. Interestingly touching on the theme abstinence from flesh he asks how could a person be kind if he eats the flesh of another living creature in order to fatten his body. The other topics too are interesting and thee examples are given at random in order to impel the reader to study Thirukkural.

On wealth
The second section of the Kural consisting of 700 couplets deals with the topic of wealth. Wealth is to be produced as it promotes general welfare. Wealth plays a significant part in society; because it is that which gives importance to persons who are otherwise unimportant. But if care is taken to acquire wealth in the proper way, it can become a source of virtue and happiness.

Firstly the chapter on politics deals with the strategies, qualities, duties and statesmanship of a king or ruler. The next chapter on learning is of great interest. What Thiruvalluvar says to learning is of interest not only to rulers but to the ruled also. The following couplet is a striking example on learning.

”Learn without faults, what needs to be learnt; Thereafter conduct yourself in a manner worthy of your learning ‘(Kural-301) While mentioning about perseverance he says” those who strive ceaselessly and undismayed by failure can defeat even fate (KURAL-620)

It is quite interesting that Thiruvalluvar in this section practically deals on all aspects of life which are of utmost importance in the day-to-day life. The importance of acting sensibly is stressed in Kural 423. To whatever one may listen from others it is the intellect that determines the truth. Kural 422 says that in order to encounter difficulties one has to seek the association of great men. Couplet 467, is a striking example on discrimination of things. One should embark on action after careful thought; it is a blunder to think that the mater can be addressed after starting on it.

The requisites for an ideal country are plenty of products, learned men and never decreasing wealth-Kural-731.

Enjoyment
The third section of the Thirukkural deals with enjoyment (Inpam) it relates to love human and love divine. Love is distinguished from lust while love is constant lust is variable. Thiruvalluvar says that the natural beauty of a woman is her excellence of character, her ornaments are her good children she bears.

In married life high moral responsibility is emphasised for raising on a good family. In dealing with the subject on love it underlines the possibility even the necessity to move from sexual life to spiritual life.

After a period of romance and after a period of wedded life, the hero and the heroine having performed all the duties required of them in domestic state, having enjoyed all worldly pleasures are in a state of mind to give their undivided attention to the attainment of bliss, for which their life so far has been a preparation. Once they establish communion with the supreme self they find their sweetness not only in their wife and children but in all things.

Spirituality has a personal as well as a social aspect. It is refreshing to notice that that the spiritual life is described as a joint venture by the hero and the heroine with their relatives around them. The love between the lover and the beloved is compared with the soul and the body. The mystics speak of God as the soul. In Kural 1122 he compares the intimation between the lover and the loved to body and soul.

Thruvalluvar was a person who actually lived his life and also had a deep understanding of human psychology and this is exemplified by Kural 1094.

‘When I look at her, her eyes are turned towards the ground; when I look away she looks on with a timid smile’.

It is not surprising, the author of Kural takes a natural attitude towards sex and life. Thiruvalluvar was a saint. He is said to have lived in the first century of the Christian era. He gave us the famous Thirukkural holy maxims as the Tamil Veda. Whatever its date of its composition Thirukkural has been a source of inspiration for many centuries now.

It is generally listed among the ethical works in Tamil and is considered to be the greatest of them. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi Thirukkural is ‘one of the greatest and purest expressions of human thought’.

DAILYNEWS.LK

The Mystery Behind the Siva Lingam

The Mystery Behind the Siva Lingam
July 22, 2011, 6:05 pm



K. S. Sivakumaran


A friend of mine asked me why the Hindus worship the Sivalingam enshrined in Hindu Siva Temples. I couldn’t give her a satisfying answer although the phallic symbol represents Lord Siva. I merely told her this as a response to her poser. Reading on the subject I gathered from the Internet some information which I shall share with you.


While some say "the Sivalingam symbol is not a sex symbol and it is an image of Pineal gland in human head", others say:


"Cosmic form of Fire is God. Shiva is worshipped in egg shaped form (Sath, the eternal) better known as Shiva-lingam, which is having egg-shape of a cosmos or the cosmos itself as Vishvamuthi."


Here are few more gleanings on the subject culled from different links on the web:


Worship of the Phallus


According to some scholars, worship of Shiva Linga in effect means worship of the reproduction function. For, they say that the other meaning of the Sanskrit word ‘Linga’ is gender in general and phallus (the male reproductive organ) in particular. They believe that the base of the Lingam corresponds to the Yoni which mean vagina or the female reproductive organ. Correspondence of Linga and Yoni in a Shiva Linga is therefore interpreted as the representation of the process of copulation. Scholars further opine that the Kalash (container of water) that is suspended over the Shiva Linga from which water drips over the Linga also correspond to the idea of intercourse.


Connecting the origin of Shiva Linga to the early Indus Valley civilization, scholars opine" that tribes of the Indus Valley took to the togetherness of Lingam and Yoni in a Shiva Linga as the point of energy, creation and enlightenment. "


Interpretation in Tantra


"According to Tantra, Lingam is a symbol of Shiva’s phallus in spiritual form. They say, the lingam contains the soul-seed within which lies the essence of the entire cosmos. The lingam arises out of the base (Yoni) which represents Parvati according to some or Vishnu, Brahma in female and neuter form according to others."


"Puranas, especially the Vamana Purana, Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Matsya Purana and Visva-Sara-Prakasha attribute the origin of Shiva Linga to the curse of sages leading to the separation of and installation of the phallus of Lord Shiva on earth. Some also refer to the endlessness of the lingam to be linked to the egos of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. "


Interpretation of Shiva Linga as an Abstract Symbol of God


"Some scholars of the Hindu scriptures say that Linga is merely an abstract symbol of the God. They point towards several legends in Hinduism where a sundry rock or even a pile of sand has been used by as a Lingam or the symbol of Shiva. Citing a particular instance they say, Arjuna once fashioned a linga of clay when worshipping Shiva. Scholars of Puranas, thus argue that too much should not be made of the usual shape of the Lingam. Scholars say that the interpretation of Shiva Linga as an abstract form of God is also consonant with philosophies that hold that God may be conceptualized and worshipped in any convenient form. The form itself is irrelevant, as the divine power that it represents is all that matters. Scholars thus say that Sivalinga represent the formless Nirguna Brahman or the formless Supreme Being."


"The Siva Lingam is a sacred symbol of the Hindus whom they revere as the manifestation of the Universal Self in His awakened aspect in union with His dynamic energy Shakti. This prayer is a declaration of faith, obedience, love and devotion to Lord Siva in His aspect as Sivalingam."


Significance of the Shiva Lingam


"The non anthropomorphic Lingam form of Shiva is what is held in reverence in temples all over the sub continent. The Lingam is a symbol. It is a symbol of that which is invisible yet omnipresent. It is hence a visible symbol of the Ultimate Reality which is present in us (and in all objects of creation)."


"The Shivalingam denotes the primeval energy of the Creator. It is believed that at the end of all creation, during the great deluge, all of the different aspects of God find a resting place in the Lingam; Bhrama is absorbed into the right, Vishnu to the left and Gayatri into the heart. The Shivalingam is also a representation of the infinite Cosmic Column of fire, whose origins, Vishnu and Bhrama were unable to trace"


"Legend has it that Parvati fashioned a Shivalingam with a fistful of sand at


Kanchipuram and worshipped Shiva; this lingam is known as the Prithvilingam, denoting the primordial element earth. Shivalingams in several temples are swayambus, or that which appeared on their own, or that which is untouched by a chisel. On the other hand, there are temples where the Shivalingam is carved out of stone and installed. The highly polished Shivalingams of the Pallava period bear several stripes, as in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram"


"Nandi, the bull is depicted facing the sanctum in all Saivite temples, symbolizing the human soul Jeevatma yearning for realizing its oneness with Paramatma, the ultimate reality."


sivakumaran.ks@gmail.com


www island.lk

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devasthanam: The oldest Hindu temple in Colombo,SL.!!!

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devasthanam:

The oldest Hindu temple in Colombo
By Jajani AMARASEKARA



Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Dewashthanam

The deafening sound of Ketti Melam, music played at Tamil weddings, filled the atmosphere of Sri Kailasanathar Hindu Temple, and the grandly dressed crowd rushed around the kovil to ensure a perfect nuptial ceremony. Not wanting to barge in, we wandered around the place to find the kovil office. A man appeared from nowhere and offered us to help. "Show us the office please?" "Come I will show you," he signalled us to follow. "There, at the blue painted building." We thanked him and followed his directions. We were stunned to see the board 'wedding hall.' The man had assumed we too were invitees. After another round, around the kovil, we found the correct place and managed to meet the kovil officials.


The decorated roof

The astrology chart

A bull statue

The decorated Gopuram
Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devashthanam is a kovil hidden inside a bushy surrounding behind the Fort Railway Station. Built during the Portuguese era, it was a family kovil. Apparently, it is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo. Although it is Sri Kailasanathar, Swami Devashthanam, many still identify it as the kovil at the Captain's Garden. Though I presumed it as an unseen and unknown kovil, we later realised that it is popular even among non-Hindus. The number of Sinhala notices displayed there makes it obvious.

The entrance to the road leading to the kovil is near the famous second-hand bookstores at D. R. Wijewerdene Mawatha. Turn right from the main road and kovil Veethi, leads to the kovil over the Fort railway lines. As soon as you take a right turn from the kovil Veethi, to the kovil grounds, there are two kovils in the vicinity; a new building and an old colour-faded building. According to the kovil Manager, the faded building is the Ganapathi Kovil and the new-fangled building is the Easwaran Kovil.

Though the two kovils are adjacent the management of the two is different. Construction of a new kovil was under way at the place. A man who hid behind the stone dust was carving beautiful sculptures from the stones brought especially from India. Nowadays with the use of machines, cutting and polishing a stone into a sculpture is an easy task. However, the life of the artisans who originally built the kovil would have undergone many difficulties. The clerk of the kovil office, Nesarajah, took us on a tour around the kovil. Starting from the intricate lotus-carved main door, the tour covered almost all corners of the kovil. As soon as we entered, Nesarajah pointed to the roof. Oh! A gorgeous carving of an astrology chart, adorned the roof entrance. Magnificent paintings of Gods and Goddesses decorated the entire roof of the kovil. The kovil is full of statues of various gods. Shrines dedicated to various gods filled every empty slot of the temple.


The Vel Cart

"Easwaran kovils usually have shrines for almost every god," said the manager. The kovil has shrines for almost every god whom I have read in Tamil folk tales. Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Devashthanam is the starting point of the Vel ceremony, which later went up to Bamabalapitiya on the Galle Road. The kovil has two major festivals, in March and August.

The March festival is dedicated to goddess Pattini, while the August festival is dedicated to God Easwaran.

There is a beautiful Vel cart, decorated with intricate wooden carvings. In June 2010, the kovil Management had organised the most recent Kumbabhishekam ceremony. The kovil offers different special poojas for various gods during the week.

Beginning the week on Monday with a pooja offered to Goddess Pattini, the kovil has a unique set of poojas to Goddess Durga, Bahirawa, and nine planets. On Poya days, the Sri Sakkara Pooja is followed by an almsgiving to the devotees.

The Kannagi Amman festival began on May 25, and it will last for 10 consecutive days, Nesarajah said. The shrines of Goddess Pattini and God Easwaran had two carved bronze flag poles in front.


SUNDAYOBSERVER.LK